October 7, 2024

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Tag: Johnson County

D.C. ‘voter access group’ sends 43,000 personalized ballot applications with wrong return address

A Washington D.C. non-profit “voter advocacy group” injected itself into the upcoming general election in Kansas after sending 43,000 pre-filled-out…

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government waste spending

Johnson County audit shows lax purchasing controls

The first page of a recent audit of purchasing controls in Johnson County government shows a startling lack of oversight.…

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More controversy embroils Prairie Village as 9th Mikkelson recall effort moves forward

Invoices and emails show that some of the accusations that prompted a recall effort against Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson…

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Johnson County hires Government Relations Coordinator as taxpayer-funded lobbyist

Johnson County has hired a Government Relations Coordinator at a salary of $122,000 per year.  The new position increases county…

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JoCo Commissioners release Peg Trent opinion on library funding after Sentinel publication

In a victory for transparency, within hours of publishing a story about Johnson County Chief Counsel Peg Trent refusing to…

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Johnson County avoiding questions about Library retirement funds

Johnson County Chief Counsel Peg Trent is refusing to answer questions about the legality of using more than $6 million…

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Veterans Treatment Court offers vets a second chance

Sedgwick County’s Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) opened last September, one of several such courts in Kansas providing alternatives to jail…

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Johnson County Commission Chairman allows anti-Christian rant that violates county policy

Johnson County Commission Chair Mike Kelly has taken steps to stifle citizens who are concerned with or critical of county…

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Survey: Bipartisan majorities in JOCO want education savings accounts

In our current political climate, it seems nearly impossible to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on what day it…

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Johnson County libraries to provide feminine hygiene products in men’s restrooms

Yes, the headline is correct; Johnson County libraries will soon provide tampons and other feminine hygiene products in the men’s…

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Johnson County policy raises 1st Amendment issues

Last week the Johnson County Commission adopted a new policy that raises serious 1st Amendment issues.  It was added as…

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Education officials top the 2022 KPERS ‘millionaires’ list

Data provided by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System shows Kansas has 3,778 KPERS ‘millionaires’ – state and local government…

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Prairie Village, other JoCo residents reject expensive taxpayer-funded community center

Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson and most City Council members are promoting a new taxpayer-funded community center that would replace…

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IRS migration data: taxpayers flee high-tax jurisdictions like Johnson County

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) migration data from 2021, the most recent year available,…

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Texts appear to show collusion between Johnson County official, Gault Center staff to prevent transparency

A series of text messages buried at the bottom of a 618 page document dump appear to show direct collusion…

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tax increase tax hike

Johnson County residents are looking at another big property tax hike

Johnson County is setting taxpayers up for another big property tax increase in 2024, based on the presentation that county…

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Change in median sales price distorts Johnson County valuations

Johnson County recently announced a 12% increase in residential property values for 2023, which officials say is justified because the…

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Big pay increases for JoCo employees mean tax hikes for residents

While the “pronoun pins” the Johnson County government recently purchased are a fairly minor cost to the taxpayers, the big…

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Johnson County spends $4,648 on pronoun lapel pins

Johnson County officials are spending $4,648 on lapel pins and stickers for employees to declare their pronouns, according to emails…

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Special education formula doesn’t count all the funding

School funding advocates met at the Capitol in Topeka recently to make the case that special education in Kansas is…

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JoCo poll workers warned about potential Konnech identity theft

Election workers for Johnson County from June 2016 to October 2022 are being cautioned to monitor their personal information amid…

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Kansas lost $295 million AGI from people leaving in 2020; even Johnson County lost

Domestic migration data from the IRS shows Kansas lost $295 million in adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2020 because more…

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Hayden not seeking to interfere with elections, simply secure them

Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden has been facing intense criticism for an ongoing probe into possible integrity issues in his…

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Big property tax hikes proposed by most officials in Johnson County

As if past property tax increases that far exceed the change in inflation and population aren’t bad enough, most elected…

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